In the olden days.... as one of six siblings I used to read the paper maps while we were on long family trips in the Ford Country Sedan. I'd announce how many miles to the next town or intersection, and it kept me nice and busy for a while. And I learned how to read a map._

In the olden days.... as one of six siblings I used to read the paper maps while we were on long family trips in the Ford Country Sedan. I'd announce how many miles to the next town or intersection, and it kept me nice and busy for a while. And I learned how to read a map._

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I learned to read road maps so young that I don't remember being taught how to do so. I assume it was yet another thing my folks did, and I learned it along with learning to read books, the paper, etc. Topo maps were part of science classes in junior high school, and geology in college, so when I moved West and began to hike, again, it was not a new language. We do use a GPS for hiking, but they certainly don't replace maps. I use maps, guide books, and information gleaned from the web, such as the USFS site under discussion, to form a picture in my head of where I'm going. One thing I've noticed through the years is that I also form a map in my head of an area, based on driving or hiking it. I'm sometimes surprised to refer to a map and find that things are closer than I think, or oriented slightly differently than I expect.

We use paper maps from the NFS and other groups who offer them. We've been in groups who proudly state "we can't get lost, I've got a garmin X,Y,Z model" A few hours later we were lost.....

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The thing about GPS is just like paper maps you need to know how to use it. What gets folks into trouble around here is they sometimes ignore the ground truth if it conflicts with the GPS. Paper maps are not always correct either, especially when it comes to roads, junctions etc. I’ve been using the phone app GPS Gaia for the past two years and I really like it. I can download maps at home and use it offline. Has worked well it some very remote areas of Wyoming and S Utah. Best $20 I’ve spent in a while.